Results 3,941-3,960 of 5,098 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Oct 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank Ms Morgan. All of us who have dealt with and spoken to whistleblowers know it can be something that takes a huge amount of time, the concern there being the massive toll that has on mental health, which I will come back to, as well as financial resources and everything else. My second question relates to the concept of interpersonal grievance. There would obviously be concerns...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Oct 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I understand what Mr. Keane is saying and what he means in that sense. However, what of the opposite situation, which he touched on at the end? The whole concern about this is if somebody is whistleblowing or making a protected disclosure, that it could be dismissed as an interpersonal grievance when it is not one, if he knows what I mean. I take his point that the Department is open to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (5 Oct 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 225. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated annual savings from reducing salaries by 50% of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Ceann Comhairle, Leas Cheann Comhairle, Ministers and certain Ministers for State, whilst leaving the current rate of the salary for Deputies in place (details supplied). [48191/21]

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank an Aire for that. Deputy Lahart asked a few questions that I was interested in. I will ask a few different questions and then I might tease out further some of the points Deputy Lahart raised. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, recently noted that the tax revenue appears more buoyant than in the summer economic statement. As a result, does the Minister expect a lower deficit...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank the Minister. I did not expect a precise figure. What he said is helpful in itself. I also ask about the Brexit adjustment fund. In January, the Minister stated that in the following weeks he would set out how we would maximise the benefit of the Brexit adjustment fund but he never gave us the plans for how this would be allocated between Departments. Obviously, I would...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: That is brilliant. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Deputy Lahart spoke about the different payment supports, a matter the Minister mentioned in his opening statement. We know that the EWSS will continue until the end of the year but we are not aware of what will happen in January. The Minister has said that he will outline that on budget day and not at this committee. For clarity,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: A Chathaoirligh, do I have another moment?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I can wait and come back in, if it is easier, after the other speakers.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I have three questions that require short answers, as I know other members may wish to contribute. With regard to the summer economic statement, the Minister for Finance appeared before the committee last week and said that he had committed to the budget package remaining the same regardless of tax buoyancy. Can the Minister give the same commitment to the committee that, unless there are...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Last year there were some changes and I believe it is important for the role of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight that it is made aware of changes. That is good to know. I have two further questions relating to the secretarial assistants' pay claim. Has an offer been made? If it has, when is it to be paid? I am asking just about the pay claim, not pensions.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I am referring to the school secretaries.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I apologise. I probably did.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: There is, and it is an important one too. The Minister might comment on that as well.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: For clarity, is that the offer that has been made in respect of the pay scale? With regard to the Minister's other comment, I found this committee meeting quite helpful. The Minister was quite open and helpful, perhaps even in comparison with last year, so I thank him for that.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (30 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 280. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the qualifying criteria for the occupational injuries scheme, disability allowance and invalidity pension will be changed to include long Covid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47309/21]

Afghanistan Crisis: Statements (29 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: It is good and important that we are having this conversation and making these statements because we must not forget our role in this situation. This summer alone, Shannon Airport facilitated the transportation of six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters through the airport as they returned to the US from the war efforts in Afghanistan. Much of the ammunition, large amounts of weapons, tanks and...

Afghanistan Crisis: Statements (29 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: It does, because Mr. Assange pointed out a decade ago that the real winner from the Afghan war would be the US military industrial complex. The war funnelled trillions of dollars of US taxpayer money directly into the pockets of five big US defence companies that were involved in the US war effort and the atrocities that resulted from it. I will borrow the words of the great historian,...

Data Centre Moratorium: Motion [Private Members] (29 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I commend the Social Democrats on bringing forward this important motion. Today we are the European capital of data centres. In reality, that is a badge of climate dishonour for this State. We are playing host to more than 70 of these centres, with many more under construction or at advanced stages of the planning process. The Taoiseach's recent comments were to the effect that we would...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (29 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 61. To ask the Taoiseach the total spend on external contractors, consultancy services and other outsourcing in 2018 and 2019. [46935/21]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (29 Sep 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 62. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total spend on external contractors, consultancy services and other outsourcing in 2018 and 2019. [46924/21]